Wednesday, June 15, 2011

City officials in Hailey are considering a controversial move that could see a ban on plastic bags distributed by local grocery stores. The Hailey City Council has scheduled a public meeting on the matter for Thursday.

A Wood River High School student group, We Appreciate the Earth's Resources, has been sanctioned by the council to work with local business owners on the issue. The students performed a survey of 250 Hailey shoppers and found that 94 percent of those asked said they own reusable shopping bags, but only 24 percent used them consistently. Only 2 percent of those asked opposed a possible ban.

WATER proposed that, in addition to a possible plastic bag ban, a 15-cent fee could be charged for paper bags, with proceeds divided among environmental education programs.

The Hailey City Council is expected to consider a revised draft of the ordinance in August and the issue is expected to be put before Hailey voters in November.